Career and Education Opportunities for Audiologists in Arvada, Colorado

There are many career and education opportunities for audiologists in the Arvada, Colorado area. There are currently 310 working audiologists in Colorado; this should grow 16% to about 360 working audiologists in the state by 2016. This is not quite as good as the national trend for audiologists, which sees this job pool growing by about 25.0% over the next eight years. Audiologists generally assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders.

The income of an audiologist is about $25 hourly or $52,930 yearly on average in Colorado. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $29 hourly or $62,030 per year on average. Audiologists earn more than people working in the category of Audiology generally in Colorado and more than people in the Audiology category nationally. People working as audiologists can fill a number of jobs, such as: dispensing audiologist, occupational audiologist, and hearing therapist.

There is one school within twenty-five miles of Arvada where you can study to be an audiologist, among sixty schools of higher education total in the Arvada area. Given that the most common education level for audiologists is a Master's degree, it will take about six years to learn to be an audiologist if you already have a high school diploma, or just 2 years starting with a Bachelor's degree.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Audiologist

Audiologist video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, audiologists assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. They also may fit hearing aids and provide auditory training.

Audiologists administer hearing or speech/language evaluations or examinations to patients to collect data on type and degree of impairment, using specialized instruments and electronic apparatus. They also evaluate hearing and speech/language disorders to establish diagnoses and courses of treatment. Equally important, audiologists have to refer clients to additional medical or educational services if needed. They are often called upon to recommend assistive devices in line with clients' needs or nature of impairments. They are expected to maintain client records at all stages, including initial evaluation and discharge. Finally, audiologists formulate and conduct treatment programs for clients' hearing or speech problems, consulting with physicians and other health care personnel as needed.

Every day, audiologists are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. It is also important that they piece together evidence to, in some sense, diagnose what is going on in a situation.

It is important for audiologists to examine and clean patients' ear canals. They are often called upon to monitor clients' progress and discharge them from treatment when goals have been attained. They also participate in conferences or training to update or share knowledge of new hearing or speech disorder treatment methods or technologies. They are sometimes expected to educate and supervise audiology students and health care personnel. Somewhat less frequently, audiologists are also expected to maintain client records at all stages, including initial evaluation and discharge.

They also have to be able to measure noise levels in workplaces and conduct hearing protection programs in industry and communities And finally, they sometimes have to fit and dispense assistive devices.

Like many other jobs, audiologists must have exceptional integrity and have a strong concern for others.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Audiologist Training

University of Colorado at Boulder - Boulder, CO

University of Colorado at Boulder, Regent Drive at Broadway, Boulder, CO 80309-0017. University of Colorado at Boulder is a large university located in Boulder, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 32,191 students and an admission rate of 78%. University of Colorado at Boulder has 2 areas of study related to Audiologist. They are:

Communication Disorders, bachelor's degree, master's degree, and doctor's degree which graduated forty-six, forty-one, and two students respectively in 2008.

Audiology/Audiologist and Hearing Sciences, doctor's degree which graduated 6 students in 2008.

LICENSES

LOCATION INFORMATION: Arvada, Colorado

Arvada, Colorado photo by Lordkinbote

Arvada is situated in Jefferson County, Colorado. It has a population of over 107,361, which has grown by 5.1% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Arvada, 96, is near the national average. New single-family homes in Arvada are priced at $252,600 on average, which is above the state average. In 2008, one hundred nineteen new homes were constructed in Arvada, down from one hundred thirty-seven the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Arvada are health care, educational services, and professional, scientific, and technical services. For men, it is construction, professional, scientific, and technical services, and public administration. The average travel time to work is about 26 minutes. More than 29.0% of Arvada residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 8.5%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Arvada is 7.3%, which is greater than Colorado's average of 6.6%.

The percentage of Arvada residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 35.5%, is less than both the national and state average. The most prominent religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Charismatic Churches Independent and the LDS (Mormon) Church.

Arvada is home to the Arvada Filtration Plant and the Arvada Plaza as well as McLlvoy Park and Ralston Valley Park. Shopping centers in the area include Arvada Square Shopping Center and North Park Shopping Center.